The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31

ally assigned to the Virgin Mary as the
female ideal in the belief and devotion
of Christendom, was conservation or
an expression of the new value that
was attached to the feminine virtues"
Longfellow says: eff our faith had
given us nothing more than this exam
pie of all womanhoOd, it were enough
to prove it higher and truer than all
the creeds the world had known be-
FORE"
A second good influence from Chris
tianity upon the home came from its
teachings regarding marriage. Very
early in the history of the church, in
deed from the very beginning, mar
riage was regarded as holy ordinance,
almost as sacrament. The mystical
union of Christ and his church was
typiied by the union of two hearts in
one purpose as in an ideal marriage.
Except for one crime, and that crime
which bore upon its very front the evil
dence that the union was not of hearts,
but only of legal bonds loosely held to,
those joined in marriage by the inter-
change of mutual vows and the cere-
monies of holy church could not be put
asunder. The intention of the Chris
tian marriage was the life long union
of one man with one woman, living to-
gether in mutual trust and affection,
rearing their offspring in the secluded
sanctuary of Christian home, and was
regarded as all but 'sacramental in its
heaven appointed blessedness."
Another direction from which Chris
tianity has sent stream of good in
fuence upon domestic life is in the
holy regard which Jesus had for little
children. ''Suffer them to come unto
me and forbid them not for of such is
the kingdom Of heaven, +" has sanctifed
childhood forever where his religion is
known. Their angels do always be-
hold the face of the Father in heaven
Except ye become as little children
ye cannot see the kingdom of God" In
the world children were the detested
fruits of vice; in the church they were
the sacred gifts of God to be reared for
his glory. In the world the laxity of the
marriage bond, the unlimited license
Of divorce and unrestrained concubin-
ege, led to such utter Decentralization of
the parental feeling that abandoned
children became an actual mercantile
commodity. Babes and young children
gathered from the streets and open
fields became q common article Of sale
in Rome and in many of the cities of
Greece. To kill ones child was pro-
nounced by one of the most famous Ro-
man moralists to be oftentimes beau
tiful action. This saying was approved
by Grecianphilosophers, and so became
the keynote to public opinion, and
hence to very general rule of conduct.
I'm the world" says Farrar, ''infant-
eide was infamously common; in the
church the little ones were treated as
those whose angels do always behold
the face of the Father in heaven"
One more thought in this line is that
Jesus dignided in an especial manner
the parental office by naming God
the Father He knew what was in
man, and up into his own conscious
ness he took this rich and noble con-
ceptiOn that he might imbed it
forever in the souls of men. Out of
the bTeathings Of Truth upon his own
spirit he took this sublime concept, and
with no taint from our earthly father
hoods, hung it in the atmosphere of
holy worship and loving alteration.
If ye, being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children, how
much more shall your Father in heaven
know how to give coed gifts to
them that love him.
From ten million cradle beds-yea
from an innumerable host of them
goes up at this season "Our Father
who art in heaven, HallOw- be thy
nane," lisped by childish voices into
the ear of the infinite God, while
over their heads floats in imagina-
tion the Christ-child d-the giver of beau
tiful gifts-and the holy angels bring
ing peace and goodwill to the world.
Let us all pray that this New Years
tide may be the end of strife, that all
families sundered in heart may be uni
ted, that all nations may be of one
spirit; that charity may not fail; that
justice may be done everywhere, that
love may be the supreme law, and the
angels in heaven hear, echOing back
from earth their own rapturous song,
Glory to God in the highest, on earth
peace and good will among men"
O, brother man! fold to thy heart thy
Brother;
Where pity d@els, the peace of God is there
To worship rightly is to love each other,
Each smile hymn, each kindly deed prayer
Follow with reverent steps the great example
OF Hun whose holy work was do ng good.
So shall the wide earth seem our Fathers
Temple,
Each loving life psalm of gratitude.
Then shall all shackles fall; the stormy elaugor